Happy Birthday, Richard Armitage!

Servetus has a thoughtful and wonderfully insightful blog for the birthday celebrations here.

The other event that is returning today for the 533rd time is the Battle of Bosworth, where King Richard III died and which is the reason for Richard Armitage’s first name.

After the death of King Richard III, history and myth was not kind to the king.

That especially is a fact that grips me, as right now I have quite some of my acquaintances who – because of illness or age – are penning down their legacy and making notes how they want to be remembered after their deaths. That is not only a look and planning into an uncertain future, anticipating what might happen, but also demands a review of the life they lead, what they did, and from all their planning and working, to pin the fluidity of life down to what really worked out.

King Richard III never had a chance to do such a planning and at least we do not know about the review he would give his own life. Others determined, what we remember of the king and his deeds.

A main crime always pinned on the king, was the murder of his two young nephews, the known ‘Princes in the Tower’.

The main researcher for finding King Richard III, Dr. John Ashdown-Hill, before his own death finished a research into this topic, which just recently was published posthumously and I got a chance to read already.

I mention this book here, because its unique research does not only go into the facts, as much as we know about them, but also shows the development of ‘opinion’ and ‘myth’ around the ‘event’, if it indeed was one. The rich detail and meticulous research we are used to in the work of Dr. Ashdown-Hill, fascinates with giving a clear structure to all the rumours and suspicions, circling around King Richard III and also follows their historical progression. That in itself is a recommendable feat, if Dr. Ashdown-Hill was not already remembered in our ‘KRA-Hall of Fame’ as the historical researcher who made the finding of King Richard III possible.

I have recognised that for the U.S. the publishing date is set as November 1st, 2018. In the U.K. and other regions, the book is already available. It also will come out as e-book, so please check in your region. (Embedded links here are only given for your convenience.)

Part relevant for King Richard III, transcribed from the video accompanying the interview article:

What role is on your acting bucket list?

Yeah, there is a role on my bucket list. It has been there for a long time, actually. I’d like to play Richard III in some context, whether that’s the Shakespearean version or another version. I was born on the day that he died and I was named after him, so I feel like I have to […] get into his head, or something.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Armitage !!!

As unfortunately my relationship to sugar is still very strained, I even am reluctant to put the picture of a virtual birthday cake here. But knowing that my reactions fortunately do not affect others in the same way, I can gladly put my hesitancy aside and wish unhindered birthday celebrations.

I wish Mr. Armitage the best of luck and health, and a big, sweet and delicious birthday cake (not just virtual, but a real one)!

♛ Happy Birthday Richard Armitage ♛

Happy Birthday, Mr. Armitage !!!
Success, fulfillment and happiness and the most essential, health, on your life’s journey.
And always enough chocolate to make your day!

♛ KRA-Quiz 2015 ♛

With a rush and a hectic a new year went away like a slight brush of wind and once again it is time to find our champions.

Though I was a bit disappointed by the rather localised event for King Richard III in Leicester, which in my opinion could have been a country wide, if not even a world-wide event,
the KRA-website does not discriminate or exclude from our quiz!
Wherever you are, from wherever you join us, take part and try your knowledge

about King Richard III

and Richard Armitage.

KRA once again searches for the King Richard III-Champions.

This year, we search two champions.
In the previous quizzes it became apparent that some have strengthes on one or the other side, meaning Richard III or Richard Armitage.
So this year, we search for two separate champions:

The King Richard III – Champion 2015 and

the Richard Armitage – Champion 2015.

Winning prices are:

For the winner in the RIII-part (Page 1 of the quiz):

For the winner in the RA-part (Page 2 of the quiz):

All participants till 30 September 2015 (in all time zones around the world) will take part in the drawing.

All questiones need to be answered, even if you know your strength is only on one page of the quiz. So two chances to win in one quiz!

The winners will be announced here on King Richard III’s birthday, the 2 October 2015.

Richard Armitage mentions King Richard III and a new Channel 4 documentary about the king, coming out next year, in the new interview:

Sunday Times interview with Richard Armitage by Ed Potton (28.11.2014)
(Quote from the RichardArmitageUS-FacebookPage.)

[…] He’s [Richard Armitage] always been drawn to conflicted roles: Oakenshield, Proctor, Lucas North, his double (triple?) agent in Spooks. “I know,” he smiles. “I need to do some comedy, don’t I?” He doesn’t mean it, though: he knows he’s best at playing men who combine light and shade. That may go back again to Richard III, with whom he inherited an obsession from his father. Armitage was set to be called Russell until he was born on the anniversary of Richard’s death at the Battle of Bosworth. His dad took that as a sign: he was instead named Richard.

When the King’s remains were recently discovered under a car park in Leicester, down the road from where Armitage grew up, he was thrilled. He hopes to be involved in a documentary about it for Channel 4 next year. How about playing him? He’s not hopeful: “He was a young man when he died.” Don’t believe that one, either: Armitage could make a splendid crookback. Imagine the mixtape for that one. […]

Many of you know, that on this day, now already two years ago, a for my life important person died. So this day, with its joy about Richard Armitage’s birthday, always holds the vivid image of loss for me as well.

What must it have been for Richard Armitage, growing up and always being reminded on his birthday, that King Richard III lost his life on exactly that day?

We nonetheless hope, Richard Armitage celebrates a wonderful birthday and has an exceptional performance of “The Crucible” at the Old Vic.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Armitage!

To celebrate both, the joy and the commemoration, KingRichardArmitage is doing a new Quiz.

All participants till 30 September 2014 (in all time zones around the world) will take part in the drawing.
The winners will be announced here on King Richard III’s birthday, the 2 October 2014.

As last year, the KingRichardArmitage-Champions will be drawn by chance among the most complete and correct Quiz entries.

Prices for the winners are three recently published books about King Richard III and the search in Leicester published by the restlessly and confidently pursuing team of the ‘Looking for King Richard Team’:

So it is worth to win and try your luck. Take your time, browse around and have a look around the KingRichardArmitage website, as for most of the questions the answers can directly be found on the KRA website.

As glad as I am that even for Tolkien fans King Richard III is worth a question, I must admit, I wonder if the late battles around King Richard III brought this change and caused this very distancing statement about Mr. Armitage’s interest in telling the (hi)story of King Richard III.

GreenDragon: One last thing I’m interested to ask you about – I keep reading about your fascination with Richard III, and that you have interest in making a film about him. I just wondered what truth there is in any of that?

It was an idea that I had a while back. But my interest in it is really a hobby, of reading biographies, and I was once working with a script writer on something. I don’t know whether a documentary would be of interest… it’s difficult, finding something which is going to be commercially interesting, and for an audience – I don’t know how many people would be that excited about him… My interest in him doesn’t necessarily have to manifest itself in a piece of work. Even if it’s me going back on stage and playing him; it’s purely a hobby for me.

GreenDragon: It’s a fascinating topic – particularly when you consider how Shakespeare has painted him into one particular corner…

Yeah, I mean Shakespeare really created a bit of a pantomime and put him at the centre of it. It’s a brilliant thriller, but I don’t know how biased Shakespeare was… Well, I do know how biased he was, because he was writing for a Tudor monarch! But I think there’s a tale to tell. I think the BBC maybe are investigating doing a project about Richard, but we’ll see. I think there’s always room for a new take on it; and there’s plenty of literature out there. The Daughter of Time [Josephine Tey] is such an interesting book, and that would be worth exploring.

Richard Armitage is currently filming in Leeds, U.K., and was interviewed by Geeta Pendse from BBC East Midlands Today (02.04.2014), where he once again mentioned his connection to and interest in King Richard III.

Geeta Pendse: Obviously, your name is Richard, and there is someone very famous that is called Richard, … who was recently discovered in Leicester.

Richard Madeley, I know, that is amazing, isn’t it?

[British readers perhaps will be able to verify the name of the celebrity, Mr. Armitage mentions here in his comment. I just guessed and googled…]

Geeta Pendse: Also Richard III. Are you named after Richard III?

I was born on the 22nd of August and that was when he died on the battlefield at Bosworth. That is one of those history questions that I always got right. But my dad was really into Richard III, so he chose that name. I think if I hadn’t been born on the 22nd of August, I might have been called Russell.

Geeta Pendse: Do you know, I am born on the 22nd of August and I am not called Richard.

And you are not called Richard.

Geeta Pendse: What happened? Maybe it was this whole girl thing.

I don’t know. We could think of another name for you. – Elizabeth.

Geeta Pendse: Yeah. And were you aware of this whole story unraveling in Leicester?

I was in New Zealand at the time, so I was receiving the news sort of sporadically. But yeah. I am kind of fascinated and thrilled that they found him and have laid him to rest or whether that’s still up in the air as to where he is going to be laid to rest. But yeah. I still haven’t had chance to visit the site yet, but I will.

Geeta Pendse: And do you ever visit Leicester?

I do, especially, I am working in the U.K. at the moment, I am working up in Leeds. I have visited Leicester quite a few times, but mainly to the country side. I haven’t been into the city center for a while.

Geeta Pendse: So, if I could bring you one thing from Leicestershire […]

Pork pie and a piece of Stilton.

Geeta Pendse: You are on. We will do that.

Deal.

I must admit, a man who loves cheese has won my sympathies forever. I am currently on a discovery tour to all the varieties of English cheese, so the end of the following interview was an especial highlight for me.

But now follows my first embedding of a Facebook post. So I hope it works…

The Anglophile Channel, U.S.A. revealed that
due to the results of their poll with participation worldwide, Richard Armitage is the

“Favourite British Artist of the Year 2013”.

In combination with giving Richard Armitage his well deserved price trophy, Marlise Boland interviewed him and asked the for us central question what Richard Armitage intends to do about King Richard III:

Marlise Boland: Is it true you were named after Richard III?

RA: It is true. Yes. I was born on the 22nd of August …

Marlise Boland: The day of his demise.

RA: Right. At the Battle of Bosworth.

Marlise Boland: So you do have affinity to that historical character.
Do you want to play him on stage or do you want to have a film project made out of his story?

RA: He is never really far from my head when it comes to assembling some kind of visual documentation of his life. […] I think he deserves a cinematic outing, that story.
I think it is an extraordinary tale. I think the Wars of the Roses is extraordinary. The last […] English monarch to die on the battlefield – in combat – and actually, a noble death.
A misinterpreted character, I think. But that is the reason to go exploring, because we don’t really know. […]
I don’t know whether I’ll get to play him in a movie, but I’ll certainly have a crack at him on stage.

Marlise Boland: Would you write the script? Have you written a script?

RA: I am not much of a writer. I am good at adapting other people’s writing.
But, yea. The assembling of ideas and gathering people together on a table is something that is my longterm goal over the next 30 years.
I’ll probably be acting less and producing more.

(The interview “Richard Armitage Interview Part 3: Richard the Third! with Marlis Boland (09.03.2014)” with Richard Armitage was released in three parts on YouTube. Here in the third part the question about King Richard III starts at about 3:10.)